Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games, #2

Summary: SPARKS ARE IGNITING. FLAMES ARE SPREADING. AND THE CAPITAL WANTS REVENGE.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol--a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.

Review

NOTE: If you have not read this series, I strongly suggest skipping this review. It contains major spoilers of the first book The Hunger Games. You can read my review of it here.

I have read this book twice now, and even so, I have no idea how to even begin reviewing this amazing book. I'm still not even sure how I made it through reviewing The Hunger Games! 

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are finally home after winning the Hunger Games. Everything should be perfect now, but it isn't. Now living in the Victor's Village, Katniss misses her old home in the Seam. Gale can barely look at her, and Peeta hasn't spoken to her since their return. The Capitol has taken everything from her and she wants nothing more than to go back to her old life: hunting every day and spending her time in the woods with her best friend Gale Hawthorne. There is talk of an Uprising in the Districts and Katniss and Peeta are being blamed for starting it. Even more so, the Peacekeepers have been replaced with those more strict and brutal, punishing people for every little thing. Katniss's house is full of the wounded patients. She visits the woods with her bow, even though she doesn't need the food anymore, just to get away. After the Victory Tour, Katniss thought everything would finally die down and she could go back to living quietly, but she couldn't have been more wrong. President Snow has it out for the girl on fire, and he's hoping to put out the flame.

I cannot say enough about how amazing this book is! Every second is full of new surprises and things only continue to get worse. It doesn't look like Katniss will ever get out of President Snow's clutches and he seems to have eyes everywhere, knowing things about her that being in the Capitol he shouldn't know. We see the desperation of the Districts, the desperation of President Snow and how far each will go to get what the want. We meet new characters: some I loved, some I hated (or loved to hate). All of the characters are pushed to their limits, closer to the edge of insanity. Once again we see just how controlled the districts are and how difficult it is for them to even sustain themselves, let along try to beat an army and overthrow a government that has everything they could ever need to destroy them at the drop of a hat. It seems impossible that they could ever win, even if another Uprising does take place. I won't go into any details but the ending of the book is explosive and when reading it the first time, I never saw it coming. As soon as I finished I had to rush to my local Walmart and pick up Mockingjay. If in fact you are reading this review and have never read this trilogy, I strongly suggest you do so. It is amazing and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.


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